Container



April 23, 1968 D. s. vAHo 3,379,358

CONTAINER Fil d April 25 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. DANIEL S. CVACHO BY an, K

HIS ATTORNEYS April 23, 1968 D. s. CVACHO CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1966 INVENTOR. DANIEL S. CVACHO HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,379,358 CONTAINER Daniel S. Cvacho, Chesterfield County, Va, assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 545,316 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-45) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention pertains to container means and more particularly to an improved tubular container means having inner liner =means made of a material containing metal and having a longitudinal welded seam extending therealong and to an improved apparatus and method for making such improved container means.

Currently available cylindrical containers having walls which are impervious to fluid flow therethrough, for example, of the type used to contain food products, liquids such as motor oil, or the like, are generally expensive to produce with the desired structural characteristics. This expense is due in large part to the expense of providing and forming a comparatively thicker metal generally used to form Wall means of each of such containers to give it both its structural strength while being impervious to fluid flow therethrough. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an inexpensively produced generally cylindrical container having the requisite structural strength and being impervious to flow of fluids through walls thereof.

Accordingly, it is a feature of this invention to provide an improved inexpensive container means having improved structural strength and adapted to contain fluids therein.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved container means having composite side Wall means made of a plurality of layers of inexpensive material capable of providing adequate structural strength and having a tubular inner liner means defining the inside surface thereof which contains a metallic material, such inner liner means being formed by convolutely shaping a generally rectangular sheet of foldable material and welding a seam therealong to fasten such inner liner means together in tubular form.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved container means having generally right circular cylindrical side wall means made of a plurality of layers of material convolutely shaped and fastened along their adjoining surfaces about inner liner means of the character mentioned to thereby provide a fluid-tight vessel of high structural strength.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for making such improved container means which enables production of such container means economically and using mass production techniques.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for making tubular container stock made up of a plurality of layers of material means in which said layers of material means are all convolutely shaped and fastened together to define a structure of improved structural strength.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus having means for welding a continuous longitudinal seam along adjacent side edges of an elongated thin metal strip which is convolutely formed to define tubular inner liner means in which such seam is constructed and arranged to provide an improved fluid-tight joint of high strength.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for making tubular container stock which is readily adaptable to convolutely forming any number or type of layers or webs of material about inner liner means of the character described above so as to provide tubular container stock having performance characteristics closely tailored to the end use of such stock.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus having means for applying adhesive means efficiently and economically to a plurality of outer layers which are convolutely wrapped about an inner liner or layer of the character described above so as to fasten such layers together along their adjoining surfaces to provide a composite wall of improved strength.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for making tubular container stock having means for forming a heat-scalable plastic liner around one or more convolutely formed tubular members or layers comprising such container stock, whereby upon shaping a tubular layer about such heat-scalable liner and subjecting the resulting structure to a heat environment an improved adhesive bond is provided between layers of such tubular material adjoining the plastic liner.

Another feature ofthis invention is to provide an improved method for making tubular container stock by convolutely forming a plurality of Webs of material in stacked tubular layers and fastening such tubular layers together along their adjoining surfaces.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved method for economically forming high strength tubular container stock having inner liner means made from a web of material containing metal which is convolutely for-med so that opposite side edges thereof are placed adjacent each other and continuously welded there along to provide a fluid-tight inner liner.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved method for making tubular container stock having great versatility wherein a plurality of webs of material having desired structural characteristics are simply and easily convolutely shaped about an inner liner means of the character described above to thus provide elongated tubular container stock having structural characteristics which may be varied as desired to meet various application requirements.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved method for making such tubular container stock from a plurality of webs of material and providing inexpensive and unique means for fastening such webs together to form such container stock.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved method for making elongated tubular container stock in which tubular metallic inner liner means having a welded longitudinal seam has a plurality of webs of material convolutely formed thereabout so that adjoining side edges of each of such webs are arranged at different positions about the periphery of the tubular container stock to provide a multi-layer tubular structure having greater strength.

Another feautre of this invention is to provide an improved method for making elongated tubular container stock by convolutely forming inner liner means made of a Web of thin metal in which such web of thin metal is convolutely formed and opposite side edges are brought together so that portions thereof are overlapped to define a seam of multiple thickness and such overlapped portions are Welded in a continuous manner simultaneously with the final forming of the metallic web.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved container means and to provide an improved apparatus and method for making container stock used to make such container means having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses, and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of elongated cylindrical container means of this invention having composite outer wall means fastened about metallic inner liner means which has a longitudinal welded seam and showing end wall means fastened in position to define the top and bottom of such container means.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of FIG- URE I particularly showing the arrangement of the convolutely formed inner liner means and adjoining convolutely shaped outer wall means.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 with parts broken away.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the sectional view shown in FIGURE 2, showing the manner of overlapping opposite side portions adjoining side edges of the metallic inner liner means and particularly illustrating details of the welded multiple thickness seam.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating another embodiment of welded longitudinal seam provided to fasten the metallic inner liner means in tubular form in which a triple thickness is provided along such seam.

FIGURE 6 is a composite view showing some components schematically and others in elevation with parts broken away illustrating the apparatus and method for making high strength elongated tubular container stock used to make side wall means of the improved container means of FIGURE 1, and particularly illustrating means for convolutely shaping the inner liner means and welding along overlapped side edges thereof to form a fluid-tight tubular structure.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view with parts broken away illustrating means for applying a heat-scalable plastic sleeve around a tubular member comprising the tubular container stock formed by the apparatus of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view with parts broken away illustrating means for extruding a tubular structure and immediately applying a plastic liner about the outside surface thereof.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter illustrated and described as being particularly adaptable for providing improved container means having composite cylindrical side wall means including inner liner means formed of a metallic material with a welded longitudinal seam extending therealong, such as fluid-tight containers for containing food products, motor oil, or the like, and to an improved apparatus and method for making elongated tubular container stock having such inner liner means therein, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide container means and container stock for other uses as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

In the exemplary embodiment of this invention illustrated in FIGURES 1-5, container means shown as a right circular cylindrical container 20 adapted for containing a liquid food product has been illustrated. Container 20 has convolutely formed inner liner means containing metal defining the inside surface of side wall means thereof. In addition, in FIGURES 6 and 7, improved apparatus is illustrated for forming container stock used to make tubular side wall means of container 20, and in 4 FIGURE 8, another embodiment of apparatus is illustrated which may be substituted for portions of the apparatus of FIGURE 6.

As shown particularly in FIGURES 1-4, container has elongated right circular cylindrical side wall means or a side wall 21 and a pair of identical end wall means or endwalls each designated by the numeral 22 fastened at opposite ends of side wall 21. End walls 22 are preferably made of metal having high strength and being impervious to fluid flow therethrough. Side Wall 21 is made of a plura'lity of webs of material which are convolutely shaped or formed and suitably fastened together along adjoining surfaces to define a composite multi-layer structure.

Side wall 21 comprises tubular inner liner means or an inner liner 23 made of a material containing a metal and preferably made of a thin metallic sheet, such as metallic foil containing aluminum or the like. Inner liner 23 is preferably convolutely formed from generally rectangular sheet means of metal foil and has a longitudinal seam 24 extending the full length thereof.

Seam 24 extends generally parallel to the axis of inner liner 23 and is preferably formed by electric welding in a continuous manner along overlapped side edge portions of the sheet means forming liner 23 so as to provide a fluid-tight seal. Two versions or manners of overlapping terminal side edge portions of the sheet means or web defining liner 23 are illustrated in the drawings and the overlapped portions are arranged to form a seam having a multiple thickness. A double thickness welded seam is shown in FIGURE 4, while a triple thickness welded seam having greater strength and improved fluid-retaining capability is shown in FIGURE 5.

Inner liner 23 in this example of the invention has a pair of tubular wall means or paper layers 25 and 26 concentrically arranged about liner 23 and suitably adhesively fastened together. An outside layer 30 is also provided and preferably adhesively fastened to the outer wall means. Suitable identification means is provided on the outside layer 30.

The wall means 25, 26, and 30 are preferably all convolutely shaped and suitably fastened using adhesive means as will be described in greater detail in connection with the apparatus used to form container 20. As will be apparent from the sectional views illustrated in the drawings, side wall 21 of container 20 has a minimum of metallic material, yet has sufiicient metallic material to provide a fluid-tight seal, and utilizes inexpensive paper Webs or the like to provide the desired structural strength. The use of a plurality of convolutely shaped webs enables economical forming of side wall means 21 for containers having structural requirements as determined by the product carried within such containers.

An apparatus for making tubular container stock, designated generally by the numeral 36, is illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. It will be appreciated that suitable knife means is provided with apparatus 35 to cut stock 36 to the desired length to form side wall means 21.

Apparatus 35 basically comprises apparatus for convolutely forming elongated rectangular sheet means or webs into tubular or right circular cylindrical shape. Apparatus 35 has first forming means for convolutely forming a web 23A of thin metal to define cylindrical inner liner 23. Opposite parallel side edge portions of web 23A are overlapped to define a multiple thickness seam and electrically welded therealong parallel to the axis of liner 23. The other tubular wall means 25, 26, and 30 are similarly convolutely formed and fastened along adjoining surfaces aronnd inner-liner 23 as will be presently described in detail subsequently.

.Web 23A is carried on a suitably arranged roll of such material and supported for rotation. The metal foil 23A is moved across a series of spaced apart cooperating forming roll means or rolls designated by the numerals 37A, 37B, and 37C. Rolls 37A-37C convolutely form flat sheet or web 23A in a known manner to define inner liner 23. In

passing through rolls 37A-37C web 23A is progressively gradually curved to form liner 23. Rolls 37C are arranged so that the generally parallel opposite side edge portions of web 23A are slightly overlapped and placed adjacent each other, preferably one above the other. Welding means shown as an electric welding device 38 provides a weld, indicated at 39 in FIGURE 4, along the adjacent overlapped side edges of web 23A to thereby define inner liner 23 and the continuous seam 24. As will be apparent from FIGURE 6, seam 24 extends along liner 23 generally parallel to the axis thereof.

Apparatus 35 includes means for making the outer tubular wall means and adhesively fastening such wall means in a plurality of layers around inner liner 23. In this example of the invention the outer wall means arranged concentrically around inner liner 23 comprise a pair of paper layers 25 and 26 and an outside layer 30 of metallic foil. Tubular paper layer 25 is formed by convolutely shaping a paper web 25A which is suitably carried on a roll of such material. A series of shaping roll means or rolls illustrated as shaping rolls A, 40B and 40C shape web 25A so as to define tubular layer 25. Rolls 40A40C are similar in operation to rolls 37A-37C previously described and are constructed and arranged so as to form a sleeve 25 around inner liner 23. The width of web 25A is such that the terminal side edges thereof are placed adjacent each other without overlapping upon shaping tubular layer 25.

Fastening means shown as first fastening means or an adhesive applicator assembly 41 is provided for applying adhesive material, such as glue, along the surface of web 25A which is to come into contact with the outside surface of inner liner 23 upon being shaped thereabout. Applicator assembly 41 comprises an applicator roll 42 which engages an adhesive 43 carried in a reservoir 44 and applies such adhesive to web 25A. Suitable doctor blades or the like are provided for controlling the amount of adhesive applied on web 25A. Adhesive 43 is applied along the entire inside surface of web 25A so as to adhere to the entire adjoining surface of inner liner 23.

Tubular paper layer 26 is provided concentrically around layer 25 and is adhesively fastened thereto. Tubular layer or wall 26 is formed from a web of material 26A which is provided in roll form in a manner similar to webs 23A and 25A. Web 26A is shaped by a series of spaced apart form roll means or rolls 45A, 45B, and 45C similar in operation and construction to previously described form roll means. Form rolls 45A45C shape web 26A to form tubular layer 26 around tubular layer 25. The width of web 26A is also controlled so that its terminal side edges are placed adjacent each other without overlapping upon forming tubular layer 26. Also in this example of the invention the arrangement of rolls 45A-45C is such that the side edge portions of web 26A when arranged together to form tubular wall means 26 are placed adjacent each other at a location angularly displaced about the periphery of liner 23 and preferably 180 degrees from side edges of web 25A in its formed position. This rotary displacement of tubular layers 25 and 26 assures that a plurality of longitudinal junction areas are not provided in the same general peripheral location. Thus a composite Wall of maximum strength is provided.

Fastening means is provided for fastening the shaped webs 25A and 26A forming tubular structures 25 and 26 respectively along their adjoining surfaces. The fastening means will be referred to a second fastening means and comprises an adhesive applicator assembly designated generally by the reference numeral 46. Assembly 46 has a reservoir 47 containing suitable adhesive means 48 and an applicator roll 49 for applying adhesive 48 to the surface of Web 26A which will engage the outside surface of tubular layer 25. Adhesive applicator roll 49 applies adhesive 48 along the entire inside surface of web 26A.

Thus it is seen that inner liner 23 is convolutely formed and welded along a multiple thickness seam to define a tubular structure, followed in assembly sequence by also convolutely forming web 25A to define tubular wall 25 which is adhesively fastened to the outside surface of inner liner 23. In a similar manner web 26A is also convolutely formed to define tubular wall 26 and adhesively fastened to tubular layer 25.

In this example of the invention an outside metallic foil layer is also provided. Metallic foil layer 30 is also preferably convolutely shaped and adhesively fastened about the outside surface of layer 26. The outside metallic foil layer is formed from a web of material 30A which is also provided in roll form similar to the previous webs. Web 30A is shaped by a plurality of spaced apart shaping rolls 52A, 52B, and 52C. Shaping rolls 52A-52C 0perate in a similar manner as the previously described forming and shaping rolls. Rolls 52A-52C assure that the metal foil web 30A is convolutely wrapped around outer tubular surface 26.

Fastening means comprising a part of the previously mentioned second fastening means is also provided for fastening web 36A forming outside surface 30 of container stock 36. While this latter fastening means for web 30A could include means for applying adhesive means as previously described in connection with fastening means 41 and 46, in this illustration the fastening means comprises an assembly 54 for applying a heat-scalable adhesive material around the outside surface of the formed tubular layer 26.

A hot plastic material 55 is suitably provided and conveyed into a reservoir 56 of a container assembly 57, see FIGURE 7. The plastic material 55 is preferably a heatsealable material which is liquid in the heated condition but as such material is cooled it solidifies being a solid at temperatures well above normal room temperatures. Thus, as the elongated tubular structure is being formed it is passed through assembly 54, so that adhesive 55 is coated in a thin layer designated by the numeral 55A about tubular structure 26. The foil web 30A is subsequently convolutely wrapped thereabout and the entire assembly passed through a heat environment so that plastic heat-scalable material 55 melts and upon cooling adhesively fastens metallic foil web 30A to the paper layer 26.

The plastic heat-scalable material 55, such as polyethylene or the like, may be extruded on the outside surface of tubular layer 26 at any desired flow rate to pre-' cisely control the thickness of layer 55A formed thereby and hence the adhesive bond between tubular foil layer 30 and tubular layer 26. For example, if the rate at which material 55A is extruded is slow compared with the rate of forming layer 26 in position a thinning action takes place thereby making heat sealable layer 55A thinner.

Also the heat of material 55 in its liquid state and the subsequent exposure of layer 55A to a heat environment acting upon the adhesive means between layers 25 and 26 provides an improved drying action for such adhesive means and thus provides a composite tubular structure of improved strength. Fastening means similar to assembly 54 may be employed between any two adjoining tubular layer means as desired.

Thus, it is seen that container stock 36 is formed having improved structural strength and in which a plurality of webs of material are convolutely formed about inner liner 23 made of a metallic material and which\ has a longitudinal welded seam extending therealong. Liner 23 has improved strength, is impervious to fluid flow therethrough, and in cooperation with the outer tubular layers of paper or the like fastened thereto forms container side wall means or container stock having maximum strength yet which is produced at a minimum cost.

FIGURE 8 illustrates another apparatus 61 for forming an inner plastic or metallic seamless sleeve liner 62 about which a plastic adhesive material 63 similar to adhesive 55 may be applied. Liner 62 is formed by extruding through suitable die means designated by the numeral 64.

A plurality of paper webs or the like may be convolutely formed about liner 62 as desired. The apparatus of FIG- URE 8 could be substituted for the means for forming inner liner 23 and would be physically arranged at the first upstream position of the apparatus illustrated in FIG- URE 6.

While in this illustration of the invention a plurality of paper webs are ilustrated convolutely formed about an inner metallic liner 23 which is convolutely formed and has a welded seam extending longitudinally therealong, it will be appreciated that a single web of paper material, or the like, might similarly be convolutely wound or shaped about the inner liner 23 and such single sheet might have a plurality of layers of desired material means laminated thereto to provide the desired structural characteristics.

The various shaping and forming rolls illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings have been illustrated generally schematically without supports and the like. Similarly, means have not been illustrated for unrolling the various webs and driving the various rolls so as to form container stock 36 in a continuous automatic manner. It will be appreciated that the rolls will be supported in any known manner and that suitable drives and supports will be provided for the various apparatus as illustrated in the drawings.

The expression end wall means has been used throughout the specification and claims of this invention. It will be appreciated that such expression is fully applicable to container means having a pair of end wall means or end walls at opposite ends of composite tubular side wall means as well as to container means having such end wall means at one terminal end of such tubular side wall means.

Thus, it is seen that an improved container means having improved inner means made of a metallic material has been provided efficiently and economically and in which said inner liner has an elongated welded seam of improved sealing characteristics and improved structural strength, such inner liner being readily adapted to be used with other layers of material to be convolutely formed thereabout to thereby form a high strength structural container at minimum cost.

Further, this invention provides an improved apparatus and method for forming tubular container stock having high strength and which is impervious to fluid flow therethrough, yet which is inexpensively produced.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by statute, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claimed subject matter which follows.

What is claimed is:

1. Container means having composite side wall means made of elongated tubular wall means arranged around i a convolutely formed tubular inner liner means having a longitudinal welded seam extending generally parallel to its axis, said tubular inner liner means being made from a thin generally rectangular sheet of metallic material with one edge folded to form a double thickness so that when the sheet is convolutely formed the opposite parallel side edge portions are overlapped and welded to define said seam having a triple thickness for greater strength, and end wall means fastened to said side wall means to form said container means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,286,904 11/1966 Vieth et al. 2293.5 3,303,963 2/1967 Grinyer 220-63 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

